Vocations: The Software Developer: Earning Less, but at Home

Bruce Merevick, 51, is a technical consultant who works from home in Round Lake, Ill.

Q. You switched to a new job in your same field last April, even though it meant a 20 percent pay cut. Why?

A. For close to three years, I commuted from my home 50 miles north of Chicago to either Tampa, Fla., or San Diego. I left Sunday afternoon and returned home Friday evening. I was a senior principal consultant for a big company, and though I was well paid, this was unsatisfactory to my wife, our two beagle dogs and me. The money did not adequately compensate for what it was costing me physically and emotionally.

In effect, then, you had almost no social life or home life, right?

Correct. I can’t tell you how many times friends would call and invite me for an evening out during the week and I’d have to say, “Sorry, I’m in Florida or California.” When I came home for weekends, I’d be too exhausted to go out. Plus, I’d spend part of Sunday prepping for my trip.

And now?

As a technical consultant for NeoSystems, I get to work from my home office, and I travel only rarely. When I have to be on site for periods of time, my wife joins me. For, example a few weeks ago we drove to Nashville for a three-week assignment there.

Now when friends call and I’m actually available, they are happy but dumbfounded. I have a real chance to reconnect with my community.

Since you’re bringing in less money, how do you make ends meet?

I had been spending money on repair and maintenance people to do the work I never had time to handle myself. Now I can do some of it myself. We’ve discontinued our landline and use only cellphones. We used to eat out all weekend; now we cook at home a lot more. Before I came to NeoSystems, we went away on vacation — to Alaska for two weeks, for example, and Hawaii for another two weeks. We haven’t gone anywhere like that since last April.

So how has being home more often affected your domestic life? And has it earned the undying love of your dogs?

The marriage is better than ever. My wife is able to volunteer extensively with Warrior Canine Connection, which assists wounded veterans. And the beagles, Abbey and Zoey, both seem extremely happy to see me around the house a lot more.

Vocations asks people about their jobs. Interview conducted and condensed by Perry Garfinkel.